Chapter 257: Mutual Destruction?

For a moment, an eerie silence fell among the group.

Yeli’s lips curled into a bloodthirsty sneer. After a long pause, he finally spoke in a chilling tone, “No matter how much you’ve schemed, you never expected things to turn out like this, did you?”

She didn’t know how to respond to Yeli’s provocation. Xiyi remained silent, but Garlo couldn’t hold back. He grabbed a bow and arrow from someone nearby, drew the string taut, and aimed.

At this, Yeli sneered again, his expression icy. “You really think this trick will work a second time?”

“Do you think your reflexes are faster than an arrow?” Garlo retorted coolly. “Why don’t we test it?”

“Test it? Do you take me for a fool?” Yeli scoffed, his disdain palpable. “With this crippled waste by my side, why should I take the risk?”

The moment he finished speaking, Garlo couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

Though he and Saina had mostly resolved their initial conflict, there was still an underlying tension between them—and with Xiyi. Moreover, Garlo was never one to pass up an opportunity to gloat, especially when Yeli insulted Saina. He was thoroughly enjoying the moment.

While Garlo reveled in the drama, Xiyi’s expression darkened. “You think you don’t need to take risks because you’re certain your hostage can’t escape. But the reality isn’t up to you.”

“So, you’re planning a futile struggle?” Yeli’s voice remained cold. “Go ahead. Let’s see who’s faster—you or my bone knife.”

“Sounds like you’re planning to drag someone down with you,” Garlo remarked, feigning seriousness. “Not a bad idea.”

“No one’s a fool. If I can live, I will. But if I must die, I’ll take someone with me.” Yeli shrugged, his eyes growing even more ruthless. “Did you really think I’d surrender? Keep dreaming.”

“We’ll see who’s dreaming soon enough.” Garlo grinned, signaling for Yeli to shut up. “But if you want to drag Saina down with you, you’d better have the skill to pull it off.”

In just a few moments, the tension between the men had escalated to a dangerous level. Though no one moved, the air was thick with hostility, and she could feel the suffocating pressure.

Only Saina, held at knifepoint by Yeli, remained eerily calm. His face showed no emotion. When she glanced at him, he met her gaze with dark, narrow eyes filled with serenity. Despite his pallor, he gave her a faint, reassuring smile.

It was as if he was trying to comfort her, but his detachment only deepened her worry.

In this tense standoff, he seemed utterly indifferent, as if Yeli posed no threat at all. Anyone else would have been frantic with fear, but not him.

This wasn’t like the earlier exchange for Tuge. Back then, Yeli still had leverage. Now, he was a desperate man with nothing to lose.

The only reason he hadn’t killed Saina yet was because he still clung to the hope of escape. But in his panic, with Yelai nowhere in sight, he might have momentarily forgotten the terrifying oath that bound them. If he remembered, he would surely resort to desperate measures.

They couldn’t afford to delay any longer.

As she stared at Saina, her anxiety grew. Under Yeli’s control, Saina kept his eyes on her. In that brief moment, Sha Yi noticed a subtle shift in his expression—as if he had read her thoughts and made a decision.

She didn’t understand.

The other three were still locked in their verbal battle, oblivious to Saina’s change. She was torn—should she warn Garlo and Xiyi? If she didn’t, Saina’s behavior was clearly off. But if she did, Yeli would notice. He wasn’t stupid.

While she hesitated, a faint sound came from behind her. She turned reflexively and saw Kapa holding a torch made of dry grass and resin, lit with her lighter.

What was happening?

Instantly, she recalled Saina’s original plan—to use the oil pit’s explosion to kill Yeli. But now, everything had changed. The plan was impossible because Saina himself was trapped with Yeli at the pit’s edge. If the fire ignited, the sheer volume of oil in that confined space would cause an explosion in seconds. Saina, already severely injured, had no way to escape.

Panicked, she spun around to stop Kapa, but despite her quick reflexes, his height advantage made it impossible. In that split second, Kapa hurled the burning torch into the gap above the oil pit.

At first, nothing happened. The others turned at the noise, confused by Kapa’s actions. When no immediate disaster followed, they dismissed it and turned back.

Yeli, however, was suspicious. “What are you doing?” he demanded.

Garlo, equally baffled, snapped, “How the hell should I know what that idiot’s up to?”

Xiyi stayed silent, but his frown deepened. He had come with Saina and likely knew the plan. Though he might not have approved, it was too late now. He had to follow through.

Only Saina, Xiyi, Kapa, and she understood the true significance of that torch. And she knew something the others didn’t—Saina had resolved to sacrifice himself.

The day before, he had tried to trade himself for Tuge, but Xiyi had stopped him. Now, with victory within reach, he refused to let this chance slip away. He was willing to die for it.

When Yeli called him a “crippled waste,” it must have cut deep. From the moment she first met him, he had been severely injured, his body constantly betraying him. His ambitions for the tribe, even his feelings for her, had been hindered at every turn.

If he couldn’t succeed, he would end this chaos himself.

A wave of despair washed over her. She was powerless to stop it.

Then, a strange, muffled sound echoed through the silent forest. Everyone froze, but she instantly realized—the torch had ignited the oil.

She whirled around just in time to see wisps of white smoke rising from the pit. A second later, another soft *click* sounded. Saina’s right hand now held an identical lighter, its blue flame flickering faintly.

Beside her, Xiyi shouted in warning, “Saina!”

But Saina ignored him, giving her one last faint smile.

A terrible premonition struck.

Yeli noticed the anomaly and lunged for the lighter, but Saina used his momentum against him, yanking him toward the pit. As they fell, Saina flicked the lighter into the oil.

Sha Yi gasped in horror.

Xiyi snatched her up before she could react, shoving her into Garlo’s arms. “Take her away from the pit!” he roared. “As far as possible!”

Garlo, though stunned, reacted quickly. He sprinted away with her, putting distance between them and the impending disaster.

The abrupt shift from one man’s arms to another jolted Sha Yi from her shock. She craned her neck to look back—just in time to see Xiyi charging toward the pit.

Then, the world exploded.

A deafening blast shook the earth. Everything seemed to freeze. Her ears rang, drowning out all sound. Flames and smoke erupted from the pit, debris flying in all directions. The air filled with black smoke and flying debris.

When the dust settled, only Garlo remained, clutching her tightly. The others were gone.

A numbing terror seized her. Her heart seemed to stop. She couldn’t think—couldn’t bear to imagine.

Xiyi… gone? It couldn’t be.

But the memory of Kasan’s words echoed in her mind—a despair so deep it chilled her bones.

She stared blankly at the dissipating smoke until Garlo’s frantic shaking snapped her back. She looked down to see the usually carefree man with tears in his eyes.

How could this be?